Should I Ride A Wide Snowboard?
When Snowboards say that they are WIDE it generally means they are for riders with a size US 12 or bigger. This is a very generalised way of thinking and the true answer lies with the waist width, which is the narrowest part of the board.
We include the waist width on our snowboard descriptions to make it easier to figure out if you need a WIDE board or a MID-WIDE board. Below is a chart which converts the waist size to shoe sizes. It is always best to double check the waist size of the board before automatically trusting company's definitions of WIDE.
Wide Board: 260mm+ waist width
- Great for guys size 12 boot (US) and bigger
Mid-Wide: 255-260mm waist width
- Great for mens 10-12 boot (US)
Normal: 245-255mm waist width
- This is where the majority of board sizes sit. Guys with US boot size 8-10 should avoid wider boards. Also Women with size 10 boots can also ride these boards.
Narrow: 235-245mm waist width
- This is the size of the majority of women's boards. Some mens boards also fall into this category and can be ridden by men with US size 8 shoe and smaller or any womens boot size.
Do I have to ride a wide board if I have bigger feet?
You should always try to match your shoe size to the width of the board. Ideally you want a bit of your boot to hang over the board on each side so you can leverage your board from toe-side to heel-side. If it hangs over too much your toes and heels will catch the snow and knock you over. If your feet don't hang over enough you will have to work much harder just to tip the board on edge.
Can a woman ride men's snowboards?
Surprisingly this happens more with girls than with guys. They'll get given a hand me down from a guy that is way too wide and stiff for their weight and strength. The construction of men and womens boards are different for a reason and womens boards are generally slightly softer than mens boards. Riding a board that is too wide and too stiff will mean it is more difficult to get the board up on an edge. You can easily avoid a situation of riding the incorrect board size by following our Snowboard sizing guide.
Still not sure? Email us for more info.